DIII Week 2018

At George Fox University, we make a promise to every student that he/she will be known personally, academically and spiritually. Every day, our faculty and administrators deliver that promise in the classroom, in life groups, on the field or the court, and in conversations over a cup of coffee. As universities across the nation celebrate NCAA Division III Week, we join them by highlighting some of our Bruin student-athletes who wear our navy blue and old gold with pride. And we also celebrate the George Fox professors and administrators who are part of their journeys.

“Not only has he been a completely flexible professor about missing class for sports, but he keeps up with my games and accomplishments. Even though I don’t have class with him anymore, he still takes time to chat about my season. Him keeping track of my season means a lot to to me and effectively describes the relationships of professors and student athletes at George Fox. They care so much about you and completely understand how much time, effort, and work a student-athlete puts in, not only in the classroom but on the field, court, or track.”–Kaitlin Jamieson, Women’s Basketball, honoring Gabe Haberly

“My first interaction with George Fox was with Keisha, in admissions. She instantly made me feel so comfortable and was truly invested in getting to know who I was as a person. She set the precedent for the community aspect of George Fox and it was her intentional, holistic understanding of wanting to get to know me not just as a student or as an athlete, but as a person, that made me decide that I wanted to call George Fox home.” –Maci Jokumsen, Cross Country, honoring Keisha Gordon

“This year, I changed my major from management to finance and Ryan has been an amazing professor and has really helped me feel confident in my decision to change. He has pushed me to be better, to work harder, to truly enjoy what I am majoring in, and to do it all in the name of Christ. He has done more than make me feel known, and he has given me a drive to exceed academically as well as athletically.” –Mason Koch, Men’s Golf, honoring Ryan Halley

“Colleen has been a huge help for me by guiding me the right direction and helping me stay on course for graduating. She has always taken time to assist me and provide me information for lots of opportunities. She understands that it hasn’t been easy for me to juggle all the different tasks and demands I’ve had during college. She has just really gone above and beyond to make me feel the “Be Known” promise by being a motivational, inspiring, and positive mentor.” –Vernon Lott, Men’s Track and Field, honoring Colleen Sump

“Professor Rusaw always finds a way to integrate–pun intended–his faith into his curriculum passionately and without fear of judgement. I find this very admirable and inspiring. He cares about every single student more than any of us can imagine, taking all our mistakes on as if they were his own and sets out to improve from them. I will give my best effort to follow his lead as a college student and into building a career and family thereafter.” –Wesley Wooden, Men’s Tennis, honoring Pete Rusaw

“Sarita has challenged me to question my worldview and I was led to gain better understanding of the people around me. This can be translated to life as a student athlete in that I feel pushed to understand my teammates and opponents, to see the game from all points of view with the commonality of love for soccer.” –Emma Laurion, Women’s Soccer, honoring Sarita Gallagher

“He (Luke) told us that in art and in life, there will be a lot of people that tell you what you are doing is wrong or not good enough, but you can’t listen to what other people say. You have to know that your work reflects you and if you stick to what you know is right, then you will succeed. As a student athlete, a lot of people put down DIII sports because they aren’t as serious. But everyone here works just as hard as every other athlete. The great athletes are the ones that understand that they have the potential to be great and push themselves to reach that potential.” –Bradley Thurber, football, honoring Luke Zimmerman

“Paul has been one of my nursing professors for the past two semesters, and he is one of the professors who, more than most, has encouraged me to push myself to study well, not just study hard. The way he teaches forces me out of my comfort zone and I end up gaining more skills and insight from each assignment or clinical experience than I would have otherwise. Paul has shown me that compassion can be integrated well into nursing practice, and that it does not have to be lost in the busyness of a critical care moment, when quick thinking and action are necessary.” –Bethany Christensen, Swimming, honoring Paul L’Esperance